IN THIS LESSON

Diagnosing what’s really going on in your PLCs requires more than instinct. It requires data. But not just one kind.

To see what’s really happening—and why—it’s essential to combine quantitative and qualitative data.

Quantitative data gives you broad patterns:

PLC attendance and frequency

Assessment results tied to PLC goals
Percentage of teams submitting meeting artifacts
Participation in facilitator trainings

This kind of data helps you identify trends and gaps. But on its own, it doesn’t tell you much about experience, tone, or quality.

That’s where qualitative data comes in:

What’s actually happening in the meeting
What team members say is (or isn’t) working
The emotional undercurrent of collaboration
Insight into relationships, trust, and team dynamics

When you put these data sets together, you can see both the what and the why. That’s what enables action.

What Happens When You Don’t Combine Data

I’ve seen schools where the quantitative data looked great. Every team was meeting. Artifacts were turned in. Assessments were aligned.

But when I spoke to staff, I heard a very different story. The meetings were about compliance, not collaboration. Real instructional conversations were happening in hallway sidebars—not the PLC.

I’ve also seen the reverse: PLCs that looked messy on paper, but where deep reflection and authentic dialogue were transforming practice in real time.

If you’re only looking at one kind of data, you’re missing the full story—and possibly solving the wrong problem.

Five Questions to Guide Your VOYAGE Lead Team

As you begin to combine qualitative and quantitative data, use these questions to guide reflection and identify what’s really happening beneath the surface:

Who are we missing?
Are there teams, individuals, or perspectives not represented in your feedback? Don’t just rely on the loudest or most familiar voices.
What barriers keep showing up across teams?
Look for themes—are teams struggling with clarity, materials, time, or facilitation?
Are power dynamics playing a role?
Are some team members silenced, while others dominate? Are facilitators truly empowered, or just held accountable?
Could our structures be unintentionally creating challenges?
For example, are pacing calendars or expectations so rigid that they prevent authentic collaboration?
What can we address proactively—before it becomes a problem?
Use your data to identify early warning signs and adjust systems in real time.

Normalize Mid-Year Recalibration

Strong school leaders don’t wait until the end of the year to realize something didn’t work. They adjust when they notice a disconnect.

Now is a powerful time to step back with your Leadership PLC and reflect:

Which teams are thriving?
Which are stuck?
Where is our support system working—and where is it missing the mark?

Use tools like the VOYAGE PLC Artifact Review to assess the quality of team output, and the I Notice / I Wonder protocol to guide observations of real meetings.

Recalibration isn’t an admission of failure. It’s a mark of strong, responsive leadership.

Final Thought: This Isn’t About Blame — It’s About Clarity

When PLCs stall, it’s tempting to start naming names. But before you do that, pause. Reflect.

Because if you’ve put the right people in place—and the work still isn’t moving—there’s likely a system or structure that’s holding them back.

Fix the system. Don’t fixate on the symptoms.

Real improvement starts when leadership chooses to look more deeply, listen more widely, and lead more intentionally.

Lesson 5 - Seeing Full Picture: Why You Need Both Numbers and Narratives